105. Short-Term International Subbing Demystified: A Chat With Nadine Tyro of True Teaching's Flying Squad

How cool would it be to be able to hop around the world doing stints as a sub? To get a taste of a school/city/country without the longer-term commitment? To travel light and scratch that itch for adventure? These are some of the aspects of international substitute teaching that have long appealed to me. However, we’ve learned through interviewing Nadine Tyro of the True Teaching Flying Squad that the process is not as straightforward as I may once have thought.

True Teaching was born from Nadine’s lifetime (40+ years) of international education experience, gained while living and working across the Pacific, Asia, Middle East, and Europe. This venture allows her to stay connected with the international school sector and use her deep knowledge to help new educators navigate the complex smorgasbord of global education offerings.

As a New Zealander, Nadine began her journey teaching K-6 students at Kerevat International School in Papua New Guinea in the 1980s. Her international career then took her to Jakarta Intercultural School in Indonesia and Vienna International School in Austria.

A major highlight was serving as the Founding Director of Concordia International School in Bangkok, Thailand, at the turn of the century. This demanding role established a bespoke learning environment that delivered the IB frameworks in English, Mandarin, and Thai.

Nadine then moved to the UAE, where she headed a school in Sharjah and later spearheaded a high school educator upskilling project with the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC). After a stint in business development for a London-based recruitment agency, she founded her own agency, True Teaching, in 2013.

The True Teaching Flying Squad database connects experienced educators with long-term and short-term placements. The agency invoices schools upon a successful match, ensuring educators are never charged for registration or services. Nadine believes her extensive career provides the critical level of 'handholding' and reality needed for teachers considering their first move overseas. She has been blessed with the life she has led and now it’s time to give back.

Our guiding question for this show was: “How does one go about getting a long term subbing gig at an international school?”

Some of the topics covered include:

• How much interest there is in international long term subbing
• What the most common needs are that drive the demand for long-term substitutes in international schools
• Key professional and personal characteristics that make a teacher an ideal candidate for a long-term international subbing role
• The contractual "nuts and bolts" (visas, housing, flight reimbursement, salary, health insurance) for a long-term substitute positions
• Some of the positives and negatives that candidates need to be aware of in subbing internationally
• What long term subbing offers international educators pivoting from full-time teaching
• Nadine’s advice to an internationally experienced teacher or administrator considering their first long-term substitute position

Resources Mentioned in the Episode: 

True Teaching: register for recruiting services or for long-term subbing with the Flying Squad database

Connect with Nadine on LinkedIn

This episode was recorded on October 30, 2025.

Categories: Long Term Subbing | Recruiting | School Life | Travel | Finances